Join Paul Harfleet in central Birmingham for a short Planting Tour. On the day, participants will join Paul on a short journey through the streets of Birmingham. You'll witness Paul planting and documenting the pansies planted at the sites he's gathered where homophobic or transphobic hate incidents have taken place. He'll share the stories of the plantings and create the chance for the community to share their own experiences:
"Despite the nature and subject of the Planting Tour, the gentle act of coming together to gently protest is a chance for shared joy and resistance" - Paul Harfleet.
There will be a panel discussion held at Birmingham LGBT Centre after this tour, to book your space please book through the seperate Outsavvy event.
Since founding The Pansy Project in 2005, artist Paul Harfleet has been planting pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic abuse. Each flower is documented, titled after the words of the abuse, and added to The Pansy Project Website. This quiet yet powerful act gently confronts hate crime and brings visibility to LGBTQ+ experiences that often go unreported. His photographs have been exhibited internationally in various contexts. To date, Harfleet has planted more than 300 individual pansies around the world, from London to New York and beyond.
Location: Birmingham Centre
Duration: An hour approximately
What you'll need: Walking shoes and umbrella
Accessibility: Please note that this will be a tour around areas of Birmingham along pedestrian routes. Accessible toilets will be available at Birmingham LGBT Centre at the beginning and end of the tour.
Please note the topics raised in this will be sensitive and may be triggering for some. Should you need to take a moment and leave the tour, you are welcome to come and go with no questions asked. We will have a member of Shout present should you need any support.